ill print it in the mourning. nate, just sent it to my school email in a microsoft word. - elisabethjohnston Oct 30, 2008 Whisky; the Water of Life Elisabeth Johnston, Jessica Lopes, Nathaniel Shaw, and Max Silva October 29, 2008 Writing 104- section 9 Dr. Heather Johnson The water of life, uisce beatha, moonshine; these are just some of the nicknames for one of the most consumed beverages on the planet. Whisky dates back all the way to 800 BC, when distilling was once used to make perfume. Since then, it has been commonly used to create whisky, and many new types and ways have been discovered. Whisky’s history has been racked by taxation, Prohibition, and smuggling, yet it still remains. “It has survived Prohibition, wars and revolutions, economic depressions and recessions, to maintain its position today as the international spirit of choice, extending to more than 200 countries throughout the world” (Castello, 1). Although whisky has become very popular around the world, most whisky drinkers haven't a clue as to what their drink is made from. The history of whisky, processes of distillation, and its place in today's society are important topics to look into when you are considering opening a distillery.
History of Whisky
Whisky’s origin dates back to 800 BC in Asia, where the distilling process was first introduced. The distillation process was first used to create perfumes and other fragrances, but eventually became a new way to create alcohol. The Asian people would use the distilling process to boil off liquor from rice. This new technique, although not entirely known how, was transferred across the seas. The Moors brought the new process to Europe, where the Celts became the masters of the distillation process. (Castello Cities) The age of whisky was born, or more commonly referred to as uisce beatha, or “water of life.” (Darwen43) Today whisky has two accepted spellings; whisky and whiskey. The spelling difference occurred in the late 1800’s when Scottish distilleries began to lose credibility and whisky production dropped. The Irish and English began distilling their own whisky, spelling it with the added “e” to distinguish the “better quality.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms named whisky as the official spelling, although both spelling are still used (Magee 144). As a result of this, the English, Irish and Americans make whiskey and everyone else makes whisky.
Whisky, in it’s modern form, was first recorded in 1405 in Ireland. The processes for making whisky were hardly at all refined, and nowhere near what they are today. The products that were left over after the distilling process were strong and even deadly. In the 1500’s, many monks were forced to use their whisky knowledge after being forced from their sanctuaries. By the 1700’s, the Scottish Parliament was beginning to notice just how popular whisky was becoming. A tax was imposed on whisky and a new era of smuggling was born. Whisky was smuggled in just about every way possible, with some records showing that carrying whisky in coffins was a common smuggling technique. The excise taxes, although imposed, were not strictly enforced due to the large amounts of smuggling that occurred for almost 150 years. (Rothbard 1) Then, in 1823, the Excise Act was imposed by the Scottish government, almost halting all previous smuggling tactics. The new act required an upfront payment of 10 pounds for a license, and then a minuscule tax was imposed on each barrel of whisky that was distilled. In America, the same series of events was occurring. Andrew Hamilton decided to impose a whisky tax to help bail America out of debt. Many people, as expected, despised this newly imposed tax, and had to be suppressed by 12,500 militiamen, about the same number of men in the Revolutionary War. (Rothbard 2) This represented the first time in America’s history that the government had to use militiamen to subdue a public group. Whisky had become a world-wide alcoholic drink, consumed by the Europeans, Americans, Irish, and the Scots. As written by James Darwin in The Illustrated History of Whisky, "The golden glow of a measure of whisky in a shining crystal glass, held up against the light filtering through through the grey skies, became the comforting ideal for the man of taste..."(11) Whisky had become a worldwide attraction, used to help heal the sick, strengthn the weak, and spark the need to drink inside everyone. (Darwin 43) The new water of life now had to be refined for means of mass production.
Making Whisky
Whisky, in principal, is a concoction of three ingredients; water, barley and yeast. Another important ingredient in whisky production is the peat that is used to fire the kiln that dries the barley. While this seems like a relatively simple recipe, whisky varies to such an extent that no two makers create the same product, even if they use the same ingredients.
Water is used at every stage in whisky production. Therefore, it is the quality of the water that determines the quality and purity of the finished product. Since the quality of the water plays such an important role in whisky production, the location of the distillery is the first thing that needs to be considered before establishing a distillery. Water needs to be constantly free flowing, free of minerals, fertilizers, chemicals and other pollutants. One also needs to consider what the water flows over between its source and the collection point at the distillery. As the water flows over peat, heather, granite and riverbeds the end quality is changed in taste, color and even chemical properties such as pH level.
Grains are the most important determiner of the end product of whisky. The most common grains used are barley, rye, corn and wheat. Single malt whisky is made exclusively of barley from one distillery. On the other hand, blended malt whisky is a combination of single malts from other distilleries mixed together. Single grain whisky is made exclusively of other grains from one distillery. Along the same lines, blended grain whisky is made of single grain whiskies from multiple distilleries. The different grains used all contain different levels of starch, and in the end will produce different levels of alcohol. An article found in the Journal of Cereal Science attests that there “is a significant positive relationship between starch concentration and alcohol yield”. (Kindred et al., 2008) Yeast is a tiny fungus that is used in alcohol fermentation. These microscopic organisms are capable of turning the plant’s natural sugars into alcohol. Modern distilleries use a mixture of brewer’s yeast for better flavor and distiller’s yeast to increase alcohol yield (Arthur, 2000). Peat is partially decomposed vegetation saturated with water that can be used as fuel when dried. Before widespread use of coal and other fuels, peat was commonly used to fire the kilns at distilleries. As the barley dried over these peat fires they developed a very distinct taste that is familiar to what we recognize today as whisky. Although peat is no longer a distiller’s main source of fuel, it is still widely used to obtain its distinct flavor.
The six major steps to producing single malt whisky are malting, germination, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation. At each stage distillery workers keep a close eye on temperature, sugar/alcohol content, pH and moisture content.
The production of single malt whisky begins with a delivery of barley. The barley that is picked from the fields has a moisture content of 16% and is stored at 12% in a silo in a state of dormancy until it is ready to be used. The first step is to malt the barley. The barley is steeped, or soaked, in water for three days when it has rehydrated to 45% moisture content.
Once the barley has reached this point, it is ready to begin germination. The malted barley is spread out across the floor in the distillery and is turned by hand to promote even temperature distribution. The malting barley heats up as enzymes break down the starch in the barley into sugar. At this point the distillers stop the germination process so that the barley will not continue to grow and use up all the sugar that will become the whisky’s alcohol. (Halford, 2005) To stop the germination, the barley is dried inside kilns over peat fires.
For the next step of mashing, the dried malt is ground into fine ‘grist’. This process creates a lot of flammable dust, thus careful measures must be taken to prevent fire. The grist is put into a large heated tank called a mash tun with boiling water. Here the boiling water dissolves the flour like grist and releases the sugars developed in the malting process. The starch left unchanged during malting is now converted into sugar. This process is repeated up to three times to extract all fermentable sugars.
A drain at the bottom of the mash tun separates the liquids and the solids of the mash. The remaining solids, or drafts, are fed to the cows and the sugary liquid left over, called ‘wort’, is chilled to 68℉ then moves on to the next process.
In large wooden tubs called washbacks, fermentation begins by adding yeast to the wort. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the wort produced in the first two stages. As a waste product, the yeast produces carbon dioxide and alcohol. The mixture heats as it ferments, therefore careful temperature control is crucial. It is said that the key to a pure alcohol is with slow fermentation. The end product is very similar to beer and has an alcohol content of 5%-7% by volume.
After two or three days, the fermented wort, or ‘wash’ is now ready to begin distillation in the still room. A still is a large, hand made, copper flask that collects cooled vapors in a funnel shaped neck. The wash enters the first and largest of a series of copper stills. The wash is then heated up to boil. Since alcohol has a boiling temperature of 173℉ and water boils at 212℉ the alcohol vapors are the first to rise. To condense these vapors, they are piped into coils under ice-cold water. The 30% alcohol spirit that comes out of this condenser is called low wines. These wines still need to be processed through a spirit still to become palatable. The smaller ‘spirit still’ produces a pure spirit after the second distillation. Some spirits are triple distilled to become even more refined. (Arthur, 2000)
The immature whisky is almost ready to mature in a government bonded, climate controlled room. A warehouse with an Earth ground is preferred when producing the best whiskies. The temperature, air quality and humidity in the warehouse can be very influential on the maturation progress of the whisky. A damper warehouse will provide a better and usually more expensive whisky. (Celtic Whisky Compagnie). The barrels, or casks as they are sometimes called, are made of wooden staves and bound with iron hoops. The craftsman that makes these barrels is called a cooper. Distilleries that have their own cooper are rare, however they benefit by having a completely unique cask. Before being filled, the casks are torched on the inside to help the spirit acquire some of the natural color and flavor of the wood. Just like a fine wine, whisky gets better with age. Only after maturing in oak barrels for three years can the spirit be officially called whisky. Most whiskies reach their maturity in around eight years. Some even take ten to fifteen years to reach their true potential. However, some spirits suffer from aging too long in their cask. After about twenty years the whisky's character fades away and a bad smell developes. The findings of a group of scientists researching the process of whisky maturation can explain why whisky gets better with age. They say that the barrel acts as a semi-permeable membrane that allows water vapor to escape faster than alcohol vapor (Liebmann, 534). Therefore, as the whisky ages, the proof, or alcohol content, increases. After the whiskey has finished aging it is bottled. One cask of whiskey can fill up to 270 standard size bottles. The Europeen standard size bottle is 70cl. The standard size bottle in America is 75cl. When a cask is bottled at the original distillery it is called an Official Bottling. There are also Independent Bottling companies that can bottle the whisky instead. The last process of whisky production is the shipping. The whisky bottles are packed into crates and are shipped out to bars and liquor stores around the world (Heuvel, Chapter 6).
Whisky Today
Whisky is commonly viewed in our society as an old man’s drink of choice. To the contrary, American whisky sales are at an all time high in the United States. In the last few years, Whisky has reinvented itself in the public’s eye. In 2007, the whisky campaign got a new slogan, "damn right your dad drank it" (Whiskey Business). Popular events, like the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, are held every year around the south to encourage whiskey sales around American. The entire category of American whiskey rose 3.5% in 2004, more than any other whiskey category, which included American blended, Canadian, Scotch, and Irish (The World’s Whiskey). “Last time for the first time, an American whiskey Jack Daniel’s outsold the leading Scotch, Johnnie Walker Red Label” (The World’s Whiskey).
Jack Daniel’s, a single barreled whiskey, is the most popular whiskey sold in America and around the world. Jack Daniel’s, made in Tennessee, has recently gone international, increasing its exports to foreign countries. Outreaching and intensifying advertising campaigns in Russia and China, the two of the fastest growing economies in the world, is a smart move for the American whiskey company. Russia, notorious as vodka drinkers, is importing more expensive whiskeys as the country continues to become richer. The entrepreneurial spirit of Jack Daniel’s outside of the United Sates caused sales to double (Wall Street Journal).
With the success of Jack, whiskey makers are trying out new types of whiskey, like emerging this fall from the brewery, a 51% wheat whiskey called Bernhiem Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey. Other types, barrel proof items, vintage, and ryes are all making a comeback. No matter, bartender’s and whisky spot owners are optimistic about whisky sales. Author of “Bourbon at Its Best; The lure and allure of America’s finest sprits” observed “No matter how many new whiskeys come into the marketplace, there seems to be room on the shelf for more. From major distillers to small independent bottlers, the range of products is amazing” (The World’s Whiskey). The history of whisky, processes of distillation, and the effect on the world are all vital parts in whisky’s long tradition. Whisky has outlasted over 2,800 years in our world’s history, making it one of the oldest alcohols in the world. Whisky is unique because it’s aging process taking from the minimum of three to fifteen years and smoky flavor as a result of the signature smoking using peat. Over all the years and controversies, whisky is as popular as it was in the 1700’s in Scotland, only in our current world market, in which exporting and importing are easier than ever, whisky variations are able to be enjoyed worldwide. Therefore, expanding an alcohol production business to include whisky will not only provide supply to this demanding market, it will continue the rich tradition and history of one of the oldest alcoholic beverages.
Works Cited
Arthur, Helen. Whisky: The Water of Life = Uisge Beatha. Willowdale, Ontario: Fireflu Books Inc., 2000.
Darwen, James. The Illustrated History of Whisky. Suffolk, England: Harold Strarke Publishers. 1993.
Halford, Bethany. “Whisky.” Chemical & Engineering News 16 May 2005: 38.
Johannes van dan Heuvel. Chapter 6 - Bottling whisky, about bottle sizes and stuff. . Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.maltmadness.com/guide-06.html. Kiley, David. (2007, November 5). Whiskey Business: Here's Mud in Your Eye, Dad. Business Week, p 15-15(4057), 1/4.
Kindred, Daniel et al. “Effects of variety and fertiliser nitrogen on alcohol yield, grain yield, starch and protein content, and protein composition of winter wheat.” Journal of Cereal Science 48.1 (2008): 46-57.
Liebmann, AJ, and B Scherl. “Changes in Whisky While Maturing.” Industrial & Engineering Chemistry 41.3 (1949): 534-543.
Magee, Malachy (1980). Irish Whiskey - A 1000 year tradition. O'Brien press, 144. ISBN 0862782287.
Robertiello, Jack. The world's whiskey: American straight whiskies, from Kentucky, Tennessee and elsewhere, are surging . Cheers, (September 2005).
Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQE/is_/ai_n15633707.
Rothbard, Murray N. "The Whiskey Rebellion: A Model For Our Time?". Free Market, Volume 12, Number 9, September 1994.[1]
Wall Street Journal. (2008). Marketing American Whiskey Around the Globe. YouTube. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPCEXuqXvY.
Whisky; the Water of Life
Elisabeth Johnston, Jessica Lopes, Nathaniel Shaw, and Max Silva
October 29, 2008
Writing 104- section 9
Dr. Heather Johnson
The water of life, uisce beatha, moonshine; these are just some of the nicknames for one of the most consumed beverages on the planet. Whisky dates back all the way to 800 BC, when distilling was once used to make perfume. Since then, it has been commonly used to create whisky, and many new types and ways have been discovered. Whisky’s history has been racked by taxation, Prohibition, and smuggling, yet it still remains. “It has survived Prohibition, wars and revolutions, economic depressions and recessions, to maintain its position today as the international spirit of choice, extending to more than 200 countries throughout the world” (Castello, 1). Although whisky has become very popular around the world, most whisky drinkers haven't a clue as to what their drink is made from. The history of whisky, processes of distillation, and its place in today's society are important topics to look into when you are considering opening a distillery.
History of Whisky
Whisky’s origin dates back to 800 BC in Asia, where the distilling process was first introduced. The distillation process was first used to create perfumes and other fragrances, but eventually became a new way to create alcohol. The Asian people would use the distilling process to boil off liquor from rice. This new technique, although not entirely known how, was transferred across the seas. The Moors brought the new process to Europe, where the Celts became the masters of the distillation process. (Castello Cities) The age of whisky was born, or more commonly referred to as uisce beatha, or “water of life.” (Darwen43) Today whisky has two accepted spellings; whisky and whiskey. The spelling difference occurred in the late 1800’s when Scottish distilleries began to lose credibility and whisky production dropped. The Irish and English began distilling their own whisky, spelling it with the added “e” to distinguish the “better quality.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms named whisky as the official spelling, although both spelling are still used (Magee 144). As a result of this, the English, Irish and Americans make whiskey and everyone else makes whisky.
Whisky, in it’s modern form, was first recorded in 1405 in Ireland. The processes for making whisky were hardly at all refined, and nowhere near what they are today. The products that were left over after the distilling process were strong and even deadly. In the 1500’s, many monks were forced to use their whisky knowledge after being forced from their sanctuaries. By the 1700’s, the Scottish Parliament was beginning to notice just how popular whisky was becoming. A tax was imposed on whisky and a new era of smuggling was born. Whisky was smuggled in just about every way possible, with some records showing that carrying whisky in coffins was a common smuggling technique. The excise taxes, although imposed, were not strictly enforced due to the large amounts of smuggling that occurred for almost 150 years. (Rothbard 1) Then, in 1823, the Excise Act was imposed by the Scottish government, almost halting all previous smuggling tactics. The new act required an upfront payment of 10 pounds for a license, and then a minuscule tax was imposed on each barrel of whisky that was distilled. In America, the same series of events was occurring. Andrew Hamilton decided to impose a whisky tax to help bail America out of debt. Many people, as expected, despised this newly imposed tax, and had to be suppressed by 12,500 militiamen, about the same number of men in the Revolutionary War. (Rothbard 2) This represented the first time in America’s history that the government had to use militiamen to subdue a public group. Whisky had become a world-wide alcoholic drink, consumed by the Europeans, Americans, Irish, and the Scots. As written by James Darwin in The Illustrated History of Whisky, "The golden glow of a measure of whisky in a shining crystal glass, held up against the light filtering through through the grey skies, became the comforting ideal for the man of taste..."(11) Whisky had become a worldwide attraction, used to help heal the sick, strengthn the weak, and spark the need to drink inside everyone. (Darwin 43) The new water of life now had to be refined for means of mass production.
Making Whisky
Whisky, in principal, is a concoction of three ingredients; water, barley and yeast. Another important ingredient in whisky production is the peat that is used to fire the kiln that dries the barley. While this seems like a relatively simple recipe, whisky varies to such an extent that no two makers create the same product, even if they use the same ingredients.
Water is used at every stage in whisky production. Therefore, it is the quality of the water that determines the quality and purity of the finished product. Since the quality of the water plays such an important role in whisky production, the location of the distillery is the first thing that needs to be considered before establishing a distillery. Water needs to be constantly free flowing, free of minerals, fertilizers, chemicals and other pollutants. One also needs to consider what the water flows over between its source and the collection point at the distillery. As the water flows over peat, heather, granite and riverbeds the end quality is changed in taste, color and even chemical properties such as pH level.
Grains are the most important determiner of the end product of whisky. The most common grains used are barley, rye, corn and wheat. Single malt whisky is made exclusively of barley from one distillery. On the other hand, blended malt whisky is a combination of single malts from other distilleries mixed together. Single grain whisky is made exclusively of other grains from one distillery. Along the same lines, blended grain whisky is made of single grain whiskies from multiple distilleries. The different grains used all contain different levels of starch, and in the end will produce different levels of alcohol. An article found in the Journal of Cereal Science attests that there “is a significant positive relationship between starch concentration and alcohol yield”. (Kindred et al., 2008)
Yeast is a tiny fungus that is used in alcohol fermentation. These microscopic organisms are capable of turning the plant’s natural sugars into alcohol. Modern distilleries use a mixture of brewer’s yeast for better flavor and distiller’s yeast to increase alcohol yield (Arthur, 2000).
Peat is partially decomposed vegetation saturated with water that can be used as fuel when dried. Before widespread use of coal and other fuels, peat was commonly used to fire the kilns at distilleries. As the barley dried over these peat fires they developed a very distinct taste that is familiar to what we recognize today as whisky. Although peat is no longer a distiller’s main source of fuel, it is still widely used to obtain its distinct flavor.
The six major steps to producing single malt whisky are malting, germination, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation. At each stage distillery workers keep a close eye on temperature, sugar/alcohol content, pH and moisture content.
The production of single malt whisky begins with a delivery of barley. The barley that is picked from the fields has a moisture content of 16% and is stored at 12% in a silo in a state of dormancy until it is ready to be used. The first step is to malt the barley. The barley is steeped, or soaked, in water for three days when it has rehydrated to 45% moisture content.
Once the barley has reached this point, it is ready to begin germination. The malted barley is spread out across the floor in the distillery and is turned by hand to promote even temperature distribution. The malting barley heats up as enzymes break down the starch in the barley into sugar. At this point the distillers stop the germination process so that the barley will not continue to grow and use up all the sugar that will become the whisky’s alcohol. (Halford, 2005) To stop the germination, the barley is dried inside kilns over peat fires.
For the next step of mashing, the dried malt is ground into fine ‘grist’. This process creates a lot of flammable dust, thus careful measures must be taken to prevent fire. The grist is put into a large heated tank called a mash tun with boiling water. Here the boiling water dissolves the flour like grist and releases the sugars developed in the malting process. The starch left unchanged during malting is now converted into sugar. This process is repeated up to three times to extract all fermentable sugars.
A drain at the bottom of the mash tun separates the liquids and the solids of the mash. The remaining solids, or drafts, are fed to the cows and the sugary liquid left over, called ‘wort’, is chilled to 68℉ then moves on to the next process.
In large wooden tubs called washbacks, fermentation begins by adding yeast to the wort. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the wort produced in the first two stages. As a waste product, the yeast produces carbon dioxide and alcohol. The mixture heats as it ferments, therefore careful temperature control is crucial. It is said that the key to a pure alcohol is with slow fermentation. The end product is very similar to beer and has an alcohol content of 5%-7% by volume.
After two or three days, the fermented wort, or ‘wash’ is now ready to begin distillation in the still room. A still is a large, hand made, copper flask that collects cooled vapors in a funnel shaped neck. The wash enters the first and largest of a series of copper stills. The wash is then heated up to boil. Since alcohol has a boiling temperature of 173℉ and water boils at 212℉ the alcohol vapors are the first to rise. To condense these vapors, they are piped into coils under ice-cold water. The 30% alcohol spirit that comes out of this condenser is called low wines. These wines still need to be processed through a spirit still to become palatable. The smaller ‘spirit still’ produces a pure spirit after the second distillation. Some spirits are triple distilled to become even more refined. (Arthur, 2000)
The immature whisky is almost ready to mature in a government bonded, climate controlled room. A warehouse with an Earth ground is preferred when producing the best whiskies. The temperature, air quality and humidity in the warehouse can be very influential on the maturation progress of the whisky. A damper warehouse will provide a better and usually more expensive whisky. (Celtic Whisky Compagnie). The barrels, or casks as they are sometimes called, are made of wooden staves and bound with iron hoops. The craftsman that makes these barrels is called a cooper. Distilleries that have their own cooper are rare, however they benefit by having a completely unique cask. Before being filled, the casks are torched on the inside to help the spirit acquire some of the natural color and flavor of the wood.
Just like a fine wine, whisky gets better with age. Only after maturing in oak barrels for three years can the spirit be officially called whisky. Most whiskies reach their maturity in around eight years. Some even take ten to fifteen years to reach their true potential. However, some spirits suffer from aging too long in their cask. After about twenty years the whisky's character fades away and a bad smell developes. The findings of a group of scientists researching the process of whisky maturation can explain why whisky gets better with age. They say that the barrel acts as a semi-permeable membrane that allows water vapor to escape faster than alcohol vapor (Liebmann, 534). Therefore, as the whisky ages, the proof, or alcohol content, increases. After the whiskey has finished aging it is bottled. One cask of whiskey can fill up to 270 standard size bottles. The Europeen standard size bottle is 70cl. The standard size bottle in America is 75cl. When a cask is bottled at the original distillery it is called an Official Bottling. There are also Independent Bottling companies that can bottle the whisky instead. The last process of whisky production is the shipping. The whisky bottles are packed into crates and are shipped out to bars and liquor stores around the world (Heuvel, Chapter 6).
Whisky Today
Whisky is commonly viewed in our society as an old man’s drink of choice. To the contrary, American whisky sales are at an all time high in the United States. In the last few years, Whisky has reinvented itself in the public’s eye. In 2007, the whisky campaign got a new slogan, "damn right your dad drank it" (Whiskey Business). Popular events, like the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, are held every year around the south to encourage whiskey sales around American. The entire category of American whiskey rose 3.5% in 2004, more than any other whiskey category, which included American blended, Canadian, Scotch, and Irish (The World’s Whiskey). “Last time for the first time, an American whiskey Jack Daniel’s outsold the leading Scotch, Johnnie Walker Red Label” (The World’s Whiskey).
Jack Daniel’s, a single barreled whiskey, is the most popular whiskey sold in America and around the world. Jack Daniel’s, made in Tennessee, has recently gone international, increasing its exports to foreign countries. Outreaching and intensifying advertising campaigns in Russia and China, the two of the fastest growing economies in the world, is a smart move for the American whiskey company. Russia, notorious as vodka drinkers, is importing more expensive whiskeys as the country continues to become richer. The entrepreneurial spirit of Jack Daniel’s outside of the United Sates caused sales to double (Wall Street Journal).
With the success of Jack, whiskey makers are trying out new types of whiskey, like emerging this fall from the brewery, a 51% wheat whiskey called Bernhiem Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey. Other types, barrel proof items, vintage, and ryes are all making a comeback. No matter, bartender’s and whisky spot owners are optimistic about whisky sales. Author of “Bourbon at Its Best; The lure and allure of America’s finest sprits” observed “No matter how many new whiskeys come into the marketplace, there seems to be room on the shelf for more. From major distillers to small independent bottlers, the range of products is amazing” (The World’s Whiskey).
The history of whisky, processes of distillation, and the effect on the world are all vital parts in whisky’s long tradition. Whisky has outlasted over 2,800 years in our world’s history, making it one of the oldest alcohols in the world. Whisky is unique because it’s aging process taking from the minimum of three to fifteen years and smoky flavor as a result of the signature smoking using peat. Over all the years and controversies, whisky is as popular as it was in the 1700’s in Scotland, only in our current world market, in which exporting and importing are easier than ever, whisky variations are able to be enjoyed worldwide. Therefore, expanding an alcohol production business to include whisky will not only provide supply to this demanding market, it will continue the rich tradition and history of one of the oldest alcoholic beverages.
Works Cited
Arthur, Helen. Whisky: The Water of Life = Uisge Beatha. Willowdale, Ontario: Fireflu Books Inc., 2000.
Castello Cities Internet Network. (1995). Whiskey. History. Retrieved October 24, 2008, from http://www.whisky.com/history.html.
Celtic Whisky Compagnie. Ageing of whisky. . Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.celtic-whisky.com/ageing.htm.
Darwen, James. The Illustrated History of Whisky. Suffolk, England: Harold Strarke Publishers. 1993.
Halford, Bethany. “Whisky.” Chemical & Engineering News 16 May 2005: 38.
Johannes van dan Heuvel. Chapter 6 - Bottling whisky, about bottle sizes and stuff. . Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.maltmadness.com/guide-06.html.
Kiley, David. (2007, November 5). Whiskey Business: Here's Mud in Your Eye, Dad. Business Week, p 15-15(4057), 1/4.
Kindred, Daniel et al. “Effects of variety and fertiliser nitrogen on alcohol yield, grain yield, starch and protein content, and protein composition of winter wheat.” Journal of Cereal Science 48.1 (2008): 46-57.
Liebmann, AJ, and B Scherl. “Changes in Whisky While Maturing.” Industrial & Engineering Chemistry 41.3 (1949): 534-543.
Magee, Malachy (1980). Irish Whiskey - A 1000 year tradition. O'Brien press, 144. ISBN 0862782287.
Robertiello, Jack. The world's whiskey: American straight whiskies, from Kentucky, Tennessee and elsewhere, are surging . Cheers, (September 2005).
Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQE/is_/ai_n15633707.
Rothbard, Murray N. "The Whiskey Rebellion: A Model For Our Time?". Free Market, Volume 12, Number 9, September 1994.[1]
Scotch whisky. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 24, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/529419/Scotch-whisky>
Wall Street Journal. (2008). Marketing American Whiskey Around the Globe. YouTube. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPCEXuqXvY.